The Little Mermaid 4: Secrets of the Sea
by B34chBum94
Summary: AU Melody has a younger sister she doesn't even know about. Mermaid at birth, Harmony is sent to live with her mother's sister in Atlantica. Now she must discover herself and find a way back to the family she hasn't known for 11 years. NOW UPDATED!
1. Choices

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Little Mermaid. If I did, I would be making a ton of money writing an actual movie script instead of posting it on fanfiction ;D**

* * *

**Choices**

"Oh, Eric, what should we do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

"I never expected her to be born a mermaid."

"No one did."

Harmony was the second daughter of Eric and Ariel. Their first, the beautiful, one-year-old Melody and now came their second. Harmony was a redheaded beauty. She looked exactly like Ariel, maybe even too much. Ariel had once been a mermaid but had turned into a human in order to be with Eric. No one expected them to have a mermaid child, especially after Melody was born with feet. Unfortunately, Harmony was.

They didn't have very many options on ways to correct this problem. Unfortunately, there was only one idea that made any sense and it was not particularly liked.

"Do you think your father would take her?" Eric asked Ariel while they were out on the beach.

"What?" The idea was not one that Ariel had even thought of considering.

"Well, he'd be able to care for her."

"Give her up." Ariel could feel her heart breaking. "You know that I have already given up the sea. Doing this means that I will never see my daughter again."

"Ariel, you must consider the possibilities. Do you really want to force our daughter to become human? You won't even give her the chance to live in the way nature created her to live."

"I know you're right, but even so, my father is not in any state to start raising a child again."

"Then one of your sisters? I know you don't want to give Harmony to someone else, and I don't want to see her go any more than you do, but please consider what it would mean for her. Please consider."

"But, Eric, what are we supposed to tell Melody when Harmony suddenly disappears?"

"I'd like to say 'the truth' but you and I both know that that's not possible. We could tell her some of the truth."

"Like what?"

"That Harmony has had to go stay with one of her aunts."

"She won't understand why she can't see her."

"I don't even think Melody will remember her as more than just a childhood playmate."

"And that just makes it worse."

"Come on, Ariel. We must at least try."

* * *

"Please take care of her."

"Ariel, you know I will." Attina sat in the water with her father, King Triton. They looked up at Ariel and Eric saying goodbye to the daughter they may not see again for years.

Ariel hugged her daughter close to her chest. You could see the tears running down her face. Eric stood behind them, one hand on Ariel's shoulder the other rubbing Harmony's face.

Ariel held her daughter so she could look into her eyes. "I love you. I always will." She gave her one last kiss before handing her to Eric.

Eric cuddled his daughter and kissed her forehead. "We'll miss you so much." He held Harmony out to her grandfather. As he did so, the blanket that had been covering her, fell to the floor, revealing an indigo tale where Harmony's legs and feet should have been.

King Triton took his tiny granddaughter into his arms and lowered the two of them into the sea. He handed her to Attina before rising back up to his youngest daughter.

"We will take good care of her, Ariel." He framed her delicate face with his hands.

"I know, Daddy. I love you." Ariel gave her father a hug before watching him, her daughter, and her most trusted sister descend under the waves. As she watched, she realized that the smile on Harmony's face would be the last of it she would see for many years.


	2. 11 Years Later

**Hey guys, Dist here. Sorry it's been so long. I messed up on the story line on my first try, so I've rewritten. I hope you guys will enjoy it. I promise to have the next chapter up soon.**

**~Dist**

**Btw: "Do" is pronounced "Doe."**

**

* * *

11 Years Later**

Attina opened the door to find a small, Asian, 12-year-old merman standing outside. "Hello, Dorian."

"Hi, Mrs. Tailor." Dorian replied. "Is Harmony home?" As if on queue, Harmony swam up beside her aunt.

"Hey, Do." She said with a smile. "What's up?"

"Hey, I was wondering if you could come see something with me. It's really cool."

Harmony looked up at her aunt. "May I go, Aunt Attina? Please!"

"Harmony, it's a school night."

"I know, but we won't be gone very long. Right, Do?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Tailor. I'll have her back soon."

Attina sighed. "Alright. I guess you can go for a little while."

"Yes! Thank you, Aunt Attina." Harmony swam out the door.

"I want you back by dark." Attina called after her niece. "And stay with Dorian."

"I will. I promise." And with that the two swam around a corner and out of sight. Attina smiled to herself and shook her head. Delmar, Attina's husband, came into the room.

"Who was that?"

"Dorian. He and Harmony are heading off on another crazy adventure."

"Sounds a lot like Ariel and Flounder."

"It does." Attina turned her back on her husband to see out the window behind her. She looked up to the surface of the ocean. "I miss her."

Delmar came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I know, sweetheart, we all miss her."

Attina laid her head against his chest. "Harmony is so much like her, in looks and in personality. Ariel and Eric would be so proud of her." She turned to face Delmar. "I want Morgana found. I want my sister back and I want Harmony to finally meet her family."

Delmar wiped away the tears that had started to trickle down his wife's face. "Someday. I promise. Someday."

"I hope that someday is soon."

* * *

"Do, where are we going?" Harmony giggled as she followed her friend.

"Not much farther. Just around the next corner. Ah, there it is." Dorian pointed to a hole in the rocks.

"Dorian Alexander, there better not be a squid in the cave."

"Don't use my middle name! Besides, Harmony _Amphitrite_, would I be stupid enough to bring a princess of Atlantica to the home of a dangerous creature like that?"

"Considering we were almost eaten by sharks last week, it wouldn't surprise me."

"Hey they came out of nowhere." Dorian defended himself. "Besides, I know for a fact that no squid lives in here. Come inside, it's really cool!" Dorian swam into the hole.

"Do, what's so great about a cave?" Harmony asked as she followed him, a little warily, through the hole. "Wow!" She exclaimed as she saw the inside of the cave. The entire cavern was filled with trinkets and knickknacks like nothing Harmony had ever seen.

"What is all of this?" She asked.

"What'd ya think, H? It's human stuff."

"How'd it all get here?"

"Someone must've put it here, I guess."

"Do you think they'll come back and notice that we've been inside? Do you think they'll be mad?"

"Doubt it. Look at all the sand on these... things." Dorian ran his finger over an item on the wall. "No one's been here for years."

"Hey, Do, check this out." Harmony reached down and picked something off the floor of the cavern. "It looks like a face."

Dorian swam over and looked at the piece of stone in Harmony's hand. "I think it was part of a statue."

"Look at the detail in it." Harmony ran her fingers over the face, following the lines and curves etched into the stone. "He looks so handsome. And kinda familiar too."

"Familiar? H, he's made of stone."

"I know it doesn't make sense, but I feel like I know him."

"You're right, it doesn't. But anyway, I was thinking. You know what this stuff makes me want to do?"

"What?"

"Go up to the surface."

"To the surface! Do, we can't. Do you know what my family would do if they found out I had been up there!"

"They won't find out. Please, H! Come with me. Just for a little while."

"Fine, I'll go. But we stay away from the humans. Ok?"

"Ok. Come on, let's go!" Dorian swam back out of the cavern as Harmony followed.

* * *

**When I said that Dorian was a small, Asian, twelve-year-old merman, I swear I wasn't being racist or anything. It just has to be like that for a reference later on in the story. And I really can't be racist against Asians, I have two Chinese sisters.**

**Anyway, R&R**


	3. Humans

**Hey guys,**

**I wanted to say thanks to DramaQueen1103, xJadeRainx, abuu, and Maryanne Jarvey for your kind reviews. And I have to send out a huge thanks to my amazing beta, Musicalromancegrl! Thanks so much for all of the help.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I should have the next one up soon.**

**R&R**

**~Dist**

**

* * *

Humans**

"Come on, H." Dorian swam fast through the water, heading towards the surface. All of a sudden he stopped, making Harmony swim right into him.

"Do, why'd you st-" Harmony's question was cut short when Dorian threw his hand over her mouth and swam behind a large rock. He looked at Harmony and put his finger to his lips. He let go. "Do, what was that for?" Harmony whispered.

"There's a human over there."

"Yeah right."

"No, H, I'm serious. Look." Harmony looked around the rock and then darted back. _Oh my god, _she thought to herself, _there really is a human out there._ She looked back at the swimmer. It was a girl, about Harmony's age. She had long, black hair and beautiful sea blue eyes. She swam very naturally, like she was a part of the ocean.

As Harmony watched, the girl swam up to the surface. Although Harmony had wanted nothing to do with the humans, this girl attracted her curiosity. Harmony followed her, staying in her hiding place behind the rock, which stuck out just above the surface of the water.

"Harmony, where are you going?"

"To the surface. You said you wanted to, so come on." Harmony reached the surface. She looked around the rock again to see the girl talking with a seagull and a crab nearby.

"Melody, please." The crab pleaded with the girl, "If your moder ever found out you'd been swimming out here-"

"I know, I know." The girl, Melody, interrupted. "She'd flip." Melody dove off the rock and back into the water.

The seagull, which seemed to have not been paying attention to the other two, was scratching its head with a confused look. "I had a thought here, but where'd it go?" It picked up a rock, looking to see if the thought was hiding under it.

Melody swam on her back to a rock closer to where Harmony and Dorian were hiding. Harmony ducked back behind the rock, but still listened closely.

"Hey, Sebastian," Melody addressed the crab. "What's my mom got against the ocean, anyway?" She looked out over the sea. "I mean, how could there be anything wrong with something so… wonderful?" Beside Harmony, Dorian let out a half laugh, half snort. She reached back and gave him a small smack on the arm. Then she dared to look around the rock again.

"You know what?" Melody giggled as she swam close to the crab. "Sometimes, I even pretend…" Harmony couldn't hear the last part because Melody whispered it too softly. As Melody swam away, Harmony saw the crab fall over and then it was her turn to suppress a laugh.

Melody sighed as she looked at the huge wall that separated the human world from the sea. "I wish I could tell my mom how I feel. But she'd never understand. I can talk to crabs, but not to her."

Although the seagull had spent the entire conversation looking for its thought under rocks, it must have been listening a little. As it looked under one rock, it suddenly stood up and threw the rock into the air. "Wait a minute." The rock hit it on the head. "It just hit me. How 'bout you tell Ariel how you really feel?"

Sebastian smacked itself in the face. "Oh yes, by all means." He said sarcastically. "Just waltz right in and tell her you've been out here SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN! We can all just have a big party."

Melody gasped, "The party!"

"Hey, that reminds me a somethin'…" The seagull thought out loud.

Melody dove off her rock and started swimming towards shore and the crab followed. After they were fairly well off, Harmony turned toward Dorian.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "I've never seen a human that close before."

"Yeah, me neither. Hey, H, what did the seagull say her mom's name was?"

"I don't know. Why does it matter?" Harmony started swimming towards the wall.

"H! Where are you going?" Dorian started swimming after her.

"Come on, Do. I want to see if we can see anymore."

"I thought you wanted to stay away from the humans." Dorian said as he caught up with her.

"I did too, but they're fascinating. Come on."

* * *

They arrived at the wall not long after Melody and Sebastian. Just in time to see them swim through a small grate at the bottom of the wall. Harmony swam in after them and saw the castle beyond. She watched as Melody and Sebastian climbed in through a window. Then there was a rustle near by and a dog came bounding around the corner, followed by a woman in a purple dress.

"Someone's coming," Harmony hissed at Dorian, "Hurry, get back." She backed up until she could no longer see the woman. Then the dog came splashing through the water right in front of the grate.

Harmony heard the woman sigh. "I miss you, Daddy." She said wistfully. "I wish you could be here with us." Harmony looked back out through the grate. The woman slipped off her shoes and stepped into the little pool of water that came through the grate. With the woman's eyes closed, Harmony had time to study her.

The lady had red hair that was piled neatly on top of her head. On top of it was placed a magnificent crown. She was beautiful. She sighed and breathed in deeply. It seemed to Harmony that she knew this woman from somewhere, like she had felt when she was looking at the stone face.

"Mother?" Both the woman and Harmony jumped. "What are you doing?" It was Melody calling from a high window in the castle.

"Uh, nothing." Her mother called back. "I'll be right up." The lady stepped out of the water and slipped her shoes back on her feet. She and the dog started to walk away, but as she left, the woman turned back to the wall and blew a kiss. "I love you." Then she returned to the castle.

"Harmony, what happened?" Dorian asked as she turned around.

"Nothing, she's gone."

"Well, come on, then. I've got to get you home before dark or Attina will kill me."


	4. The News

**Hey guys,**

**Thanks for being so patient with me. I'm sorry it took so long.**

**I'd like to give a big shout-out to Stephen Typhcry, Lucy, Maryanne Jarvey, and DramaQueen1103 for their wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank MusicalRomanceGrl for being the amazing beta she is. Thanks for the reviews, guys, keep 'em comin'.**

**Hope you enjoy,**

**~Dist**

* * *

**The News**

"Dorian! Dorian Alexander where are you?"

"Coming Mother!" Dorian and Harmony had just made it back to their neighborhood. "I gotta go H. I'll see you." Dorian swam towards his home.

"See ya, Do!" Harmony called after him. He turned around and waved before entering the house. Harmony swam past a few more homes before coming to hers. As she went to open the door, her aunt pulled it open, swimming out.

"Oh Harmony, there you are." Attina said as she nearly swam into her niece. "I have to go to the palace. Your grandfather just sent word that it was very urgent that I go see him at once. Oh, and can you please make sure the boys get to bed on time?"

"Sure, Aunt Attina."

"Thank you, dear. I have to swim. Love you." She waved as she swam towards the palace.

"Love you, too."

* * *

Attina entered the throne room. "Good evening, Daddy." She bowed her head to an older gentleman sitting atop a golden throne. He had white hair, adorned with a beautiful gold crown. His face was careworn; the laugh lines of old were just barely visible on his skin. _He looks even sadder than last time. _Attina thought. _Something must have happened._

"Attina." King Triton traveled down from his chair and enveloped his daughter in a hug. "I'm afraid I have bad news." His face was weighed down by remorse.

"From Ariel?"

"Yes." The king paused. "I have just been informed that Melody has gone missing."

"What?" Attina gasped in horror. "How?"

"It seems she and Ariel got into a fight this evening and she ran off. Sebastian said he saw her head out to sea."

_No, this can't be happening!_ Attina thought. She took a deep breath. "What are Ariel and Eric going to do?"

"I have not been able to talk to them yet. I will be heading to the surface as soon as I am sure the search parties have gone. I am positive that Eric will have his entire fleet of ships out looking for her."

"I just hope we find her before Morgana does."

"As do I." Triton sighed. "Attina, I need you to make sure to keep a close eye on Harmony. We can't afford to loose track of her as well. I also would ask that you keep an eye out and notify me if you see anything suspicious."

"I will, Daddy."

"Thank you. Now I must be off. I need to discuss plans and meet with your sister."

"Of course."

"Good night, sweetheart." He gave her another hug and planted a small kiss on her forehead, reminding Attina of times when she was little and needed comforting from her father. "Let us hope that tomorrow bears better news."


	5. Secrets

**Sorry it's been forever. I had a serious case of writer's block and a hw avalanche. Anyway, want to say thanks to Maryanne Jarvey, Lucy, DramaQueen1103, Harry Potter fan 27, Samse, and ssaammxx1417 for all of their wonderful reviews. Enjoy the chapter.**

**

* * *

**

**Secrets**

"Harmony," her aunt called from the kitchen, "could you come here, please?" Harmony swam down from her room. When she got to the kitchen, she saw Attina sitting at the table. Harmony sat down in the seat across from her.

"Yeah?"

"Harmony, I called Dorian's mother. She's sending him over. He'll be here any minute." Attina wouldn't look at her niece; she just stared into the cup of coffee she was holding in her hands.

"Okaaaaay?" Harmony was confused. Dorian always came over on Saturdays. Attina had never needed to call his mom before.

"I need you to stay with him all day." She said. "He is never to leave your sight. Is that understood?"

"Aunt Attina, what is this about?"

"I asked you a question. Is that understood?" Harmony jumped at the harshness in her aunt's voice. _Aunt Attina never talks like that._ She thought_. Something's wrong._ Attina looked up and made eye contact with her niece for the first time that morning. She saw the hurt and fear in Harmony's eyes and her face immediately softened. "Harmony, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lash out at you like that." She set down her coffee and took Harmony's hands in her own. "It is just very important that you stay close to Dorian today and I need you to promise me you will."

"Of course I promise, Aunt Attina. But what's this all about? I hang out with Dorian every day and you've never acted like this before. Is something wrong?" Attina shook her head. "You're hiding something from me." Harmony stated, slipping her hands from her aunt's grasp.

The doorbell rang and Harmony got up from the table. "You're hiding something from me." Harmony said again, her voice growing louder with every word. "I'm sick of all of these secrets! My life is full of them and I HATE IT!" Harmony swam out of the kitchen and threw open the door, "Come on, Do, let's go."

* * *

They swam in silence, Harmony leading while Dorian followed close behind. Dorian had been friends with Harmony long enough to know that you leave her alone when she's mad. After ten minutes of clueless wondering, they ended up in the Queen's Garden.

The Queen's Garden was Harmony's favorite place in the whole ocean. It was the only place she felt she truly belonged. The garden was beautiful. It was filled with brightly colored coral and magnificent underwater plants. In its center was a majestic statue of Harmony's grandparents. Harmony sat at the foot of the statue, looking up into her grandmother's face.

"Harmony?" Dorian sat beside his friend, throwing his arm protectively around her shoulders. "Harmony, are you alright? What happened back there?"

"My aunt and I just got into an argument. It was nothing."

"Harmony, I know you. You don't get that upset over nothing."

"Do, it was nothing. I've been stressed lately and I just popped."

"Okaaay," Dorian dropped the subject. "Some of the guys were going to Neptune's Alley, wanna go? I bet I can beat your butt at bowling."

"Whatever." Harmony pushed him over. "You know you can't win against me."

"So is that a yes?"

"Of course." Harmony loved hanging out with Dorian. Even on her worst days, he always made her feel better. "Sounds like f-"

"Princess Harmony." A small seahorse swam into the garden. "The king has asked for your presence in the throne room immediately."

"Like I was going to say," Harmony continued as she stood up, "sounds like fun. Unfortunately, princess duties come before friends. See you later, Do." She followed the seahorse back into the castle.

"Goodbye, Princess." Dorian whispered as he swam out of the garden toward downtown Atlantica.

* * *

**I know it's short, but it's kinda a transitional chapter. ****I promise to have chapter 6 up soon. Can you guess what happens?**

******See ya soon,**

******~Dist**


	6. Meetings

**Please don't murder me. I am so so so so so x ∞ sorry that it has taken so long for me to update. I seriously have been working on this chapter for a while, but I kept getting stuck. I got a review again tonight and I've realized that I really needed to get the next chapter up. I really wish I hadn't made you guys wait so long. Please forgive me.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who has been reviewing and encouraging me to continue:**** MermaidRaven, Auniqua, SiriusBlackisSeriuslyfunny333, katara4494, Chaos Infinity-X, JDJPJST, Unknown Awesomeness, Katiekst303, and peachmikey11. I'd also like to thank everyone who has recently added this story to their favorites or alerts. Usually I send out personal thank you messages, but I've gotten a bit behind. Expect yours soon. If you don't get one from me in the next two weeks, shoot me a message and I'll apologize profusely. And I'd like to thank all of you that have been reading this story for a long time. You guys are the ones who keep me going.**

**I hope that this chapter meets your expectations and, again, I'm sorry for the extremely long wait. Anyway, without further ado...**

* * *

**Meetings**

"His Majesty will be arriving momentarily, Your Highness." The seahorse stated as he led Harmony into the throne room. He bowed and excused himself, leaving Harmony alone in the huge space. She had never liked this room. Every time she had been in here she had always gotten some form of bad news, like when she was being sent away for school or when her cousin, Rian, had died. The throne room did not hold good memories for her, and she afraid of what today's visit would bring.

"Harmony." Her grandfather called as he wrapped her in a hug, eliminating some of the discomfort she felt. "Tell me, how have you been?"

"A little confused," Harmony replied, "I feel like I'm being left in the dark. Aunt Attina is keeping secrets and acting strange. I have a feeling that it's about me. Have I done something wrong?"

King Triton laughed softly at his granddaughter's troubled expression. "No, my dear, you have done nothing. Your aunt is only worried about your safety, as are we all."

"No, Grandfather. I know there is something more. Something has changed." Harmony's face was pleading her grandfather, begging him to tell her what had happened. Triton was slow in response, allowing himself time to try to figure out what to tell her.

"Yes something has change," he said slowly, "a problem has arisen that affects the safety of Atlantica." He paused, "And of your family."

"My family?" Harmony asked, confused by his reference. "You mean my parents?"

"Yes, my dear."

"You've heard from my parents? Where are they? What's happened? Are they okay?" The questions flowed out of her mouth with tremendous speed. Harmony's grandfather never talked about her parents. If he was mentioning them now, something terrible must have happened.

"Harmony," King Triton put a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder and lowered himself so that he could look her in the eye, "your mother is here and she would like to speak with you."

* * *

"Hey, Eron. Hey, Mia." Dorian greeted his friends.

"Hey, Do. Where's Harmony?" Eron asked.

"Off princessing with her grandfather."

"Does she ever get a break?" Mia laughed.

"Guess not. We still headed for Neptune's Alley."

"Yeah. Let's go." Their group of friends started swimming down the pathway. Eron was the oldest of the bunch at thirteen. He had just out grown his "awkward" stage and was becoming a very handsome young man. The sea currents placed his neatly trimmed hair in just the right position and his dark green eyes held a depth within. Mia was Dorian's age and was Harmony's best girl friend. Her brown hair hung loosely around her shoulders and was almost always adorned with a type of flower.

As the three young merpeople swam down Angler Avenue, Mia spotted something off to the side of the path.

"Hey, what's that down there?" She pointed to something blue sticking up through the coral.

"I don't know." Dorian answered, squinting his eyes to try and identify the mysterious object. "Let's go see." The two swam over to investigate, leaving Eron on the path.

"Come on, guys. It's not that important. Let's just keeping going."

"What?" Mia teased him, "Are you scared of a little adventure?"

"No I just think- woo." His sentence was cut off as something hit him from behind. "Sorry, my fault." As he turned, Eron saw the young mermaid he had collided with. "Hi." He said, wanting to be friendly. The dark haired girl didn't look familiar. "I don't think I've seen you around here. What's your name?"

The young girl seemed a little nervous. "I'm Mel-Mel."

Eron called over to his friends, "Hey guys, meet Mel-Mel."

"Hi." Mia said.

"Hey. You wanna hang out with us?" Dorian offered. The young girl nodded her head in acceptance before a penguin swam between them.

"Alright. Alright. Break it up. Break it up. Nothin' to see here, move along." The penguin grabbed Mel-Mel by the hand and began to drag her down the path.

"Maybe I'll catch you later." Eron called after her. They all waved and once the couple was out of earshot, Eron turned to his friends. "Was that a penguin?" he asked in disbelief.

"I think so." Dorian responded.

"Well anyway. What was the blue thing?"

"Oh it was just a piece of trash. Nothing really." Mia told him.

"See, I told you it wasn't that important."

"Okay Mr. Know-It-All, let's just get to Neptune's Alley."

* * *

King Triton led his granddaughter down the hall to his private study. She hadn't said a word after he told her about Ariel. He still didn't agree that this was the right time for Harmony to meet her mother, but he couldn't say no to his youngest daughter. She was right, this whole affair with Melody had started because of secrets and it wasn't fair to keep either of the girls in the dark. They needed to know. Harmony needed to know. As he led her through the door, he prayed to Poseidon that this would go over smoothly.

"Harmony?" Ariel asked as she rose from her seat. Harmony shrank back behind her grandfather and Ariel stopped. She closed her eyes for a moment, wishing that she could take back these eleven years.

"Harmony," her grandfather said, "this is Ariel, your mother."

"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Ariel." Harmony stepped out from behind King Triton and bowed politely to the woman in front of her. It broke Ariel's heart to see her daughter acting so formally towards her, but she bowed back.

"I'll leave you two alone." Triton said as he swam out the door. Harmony gave him one last look that begged him to stay, but Triton knew that his daughter and granddaughter needed this moment to themselves. They needed time to find each other.

* * *

**I won't promise you that I'll have the next chapter up extremely so, but I will try. I am currently a senior in high school, so I'm in the middle of applications, scholarships, and tons of essays. I promise that I will work hard to update soon. In the meantime, leave a review and let me know what you think.**

**Thanks for sticking with me,**

**~Dist**

* * *

**Author's Note (11/21/2011): I have already finished chapter 7. I will update on Wednesday as a Thanksgiving gift.**


	7. Letting You Go

**Look, look, look! I actually uploaded the chapter when I said I would! How awesome is this! I'm very proud of myself at this moment. Anyway, this is up so quickly because I couldn't stop writing. I stayed up until 1:30 am on Monday morning writing this because it wouldn't let me sleep. This chapter is mostly just Ariel and Harmony and it has probably been my favorite one to write (barely beating chapter 3.) I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will work on the next chapter this weekend and I'll hopefully have it up Monday, but I won't promise you anything.**

**Thanks to SiriusBlackisSeriuslyfunny333, MermaidRaven, ashlynthestory-creator, gaara king of the sand, and Unknown Awesomeness for their reviews. I enjoyed looking over all of the feedback and I'm grateful that you guys liked the new chapter.**

**Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone. Enjoy,**

**~Dist**

* * *

**Letting You Go**

It wasn't until her grandfather left that Harmony let herself truly look at the woman in front of her. She had always been told that she looked like her mother, but until that moment, she hadn't really believed it. As Harmony looked at her mother's hair, her eyes, the shape of her face, she saw the resemblance. But besides the similarities, she felt something familiar about her mother's face. It was as if she had seen it somewhere before, somewhere recently.

Harmony gasped, "You're the-" Harmony stopped herself. Her grandfather would be furious if he knew she had gone to the surface, and now she knew why.

"I'm the what?" her mother asked.

"I-I was going to say the you're the exact same as how Aunt Attina described you." Harmony tried to cover. She could tell that Ariel saw right through it.

Ariel sat back down on the bench she had been on before Harmony walked in. She motioned for Harmony to join her. "Why don't you come sit and we'll talk." Instead of taking the seat beside her mother, Harmony sat in a chair a little way off. _Okay, _Ariel thought, _at least it's a start._ "So, Har-"

"Why did you leave me?" Harmony interrupted her mother. She knew it was rude, but she had been dying to ask that question for as long as she could remember. She didn't want to waste time with formalities or small talk.

Ariel was slightly taken aback. She took a breath and looked into her youngest daughter's eyes. "Harmony, when you were born, you father and I believed that leaving you with your aunt was the safest thing we could do for you. There was, and still is, an evil witch who wants your grandfather's crown. If she knew about you, she would use you to get to your grandfather."

"So what? Leaving me with your sister was your best plan? You could've taken me far away where she could never find us. You could've stayed here and protected me yourself. How is keeping me close to my grandfather safer than keeping me close to you?"

"You had better protection in your grandfather's care, and leaving you with Attina allowed for you to have friends and a normal childhood."

"You mean a normal childhood for a mermaid." Harmony covered her mouth with her hand. She shouldn't have let that slip.

"What do you mean?" Ariel asked, pretending like she didn't know.

"Don't continue to lie to me." Harmony said, angrily. "I saw you on the surface. I saw you behind the wall, with legs. And I heard that girl call you mom." Tears started to escape from her eyes. "So was that daughter just more important? Was she your precious one and I was just an accident that you didn't want?"

"No, Harmony, it's not like that." Ariel started to try to explain.

"NO!" Harmony yelled, rising from her chair. "My whole life has been a lie. I haven't known that you were human or that I had a secret human sister. You should have just stayed on the surface where you belong. I wish I had never even met you." Harmony swam from the room, slamming the door on her way out.

Ariel sat on the bench confused and distraught. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? She had wanted to take this slow, allow Harmony to get used to the idea of having a mom before finding out about the fact that she was human. And she especially didn't want to have to make the jump to Melody. How was she suppose to explain why Melody was allowed to stay with them and Harmony was not? As she contemplated all of these problems, the door to the study opened.

King Triton had been hoping to walk into the room and see his daughter and granddaughter together. He had wanted them to grow, to figure each other out. But when he walked into his study, all he saw was a confused little girl who needed her daddy for guidance. He swam over to the seat next to his youngest daughter and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What happened?"

"It all went wrong, Daddy." Ariel said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. "I knew she was going to take it badly, but not like this. I had wanted to ease her into it. Explain that Eric and I still cared for her. Get her to trust me before I told her about being human."

"Where'd it go wrong?"

"She knew, Daddy. I don't know how, but she knew I was human and she knew about Melody. She threw it all in my face and I didn't know how to respond. I wasn't prepared to have to explain all of it so quickly. And now she's angry and upset. Instead of loosing one daughter and having the other not know who I was, now I've lost both of them."

"Now Ariel," Triton lifted her chin with his finger, making her look him in the eye, "you have not lost Harmony. Yes, she's angry and confused, but it's expected. She doesn't know how to react. She needs a mother to come and comfort her."

"Daddy, if I can't comfort a daughter I've known for twelve years, how am I suppose to comfort one I don't even know?"

"You know her, Ariel. She's you. Almost every character trait, every movement is a reflection of you. Talk to her as if you were talking to yourself at a younger age. She needs you, even if she doesn't know it."

"Where would she have gone?"

"As I said, she's you. Where would you have gone?"

* * *

Ariel knew her father hadn't meant that Harmony would literally go to the same spot she would, but somehow she couldn't help it. As she entered the grotto, Ariel was taken back to the years before she had met Eric, before Ursula, before Morgana, before life had become complicated. Surprise flooded her expression as she noticed the young girl lying on the ground nearby. Harmony held a stone face in her hands, tracing the fine lines with her index finger.

"I remember the day that happened." Ariel sat down beside her daughter. "Your grandfather was so angry with me." A soft smile crossed her face. "I had gone up to the surface and seen a handsome human. I fell in love. Well, I thought I had." She paused. When Harmony didn't respond, Ariel continued. "He was on a ship, celebrating his birthday. I had seen him up on deck, dancing with the crew and having a wonderful time. That," Ariel motioned to the face, "was a life-size statue his advisor, Grimsby, had given him. Almost immediately after it was revealed, an unexpected storm arose. Lightening struck the ship and it caught fire. That statue fell to the bottom of the sea, directly into this grotto, my hiding place."

"What happened to the man and his crew?" Harmony asked, though she pretended like she didn't really care. Ariel smiled as she saw through her daughter's act.

"His crew was able to make it to the lifeboats, but he wasn't. He was caught in the wreckage. I saw him sink beneath the surface and rescued him. I dragged him onto the beach where Grimsby found him."

"The man was my father, wasn't he?"

"Yes. His name is Eric, and he has always been a human."

"If this face was once a life-size statue, what happened to it?"

"After the wreck, my friend Flounder had brought me back to the grotto. I saw the statue and began to imagine what it would be like if it was truly Eric. Your grandfather saw me and was furious. I wasn't allowed to go to the surface, let alone get near the humans. Your grandfather was angry that I had allowed myself to feel for this man and save him. He decided that I needed to be taught to stay away from humans, so he destroyed most of my treasures, including your father's statue."

"So that's why these things are broken?"

"Yes. And I hated him for it, but now I know he was only trying to protect me. You see, your grandmother was killed by humans. It was a tragic accident, but your grandfather blamed them, nonetheless."

"But if Grandfather was so against humans, how did you become one?" Harmony finally looked at her mother. Ariel smiled down at her. It was a sad smile, one that showed the regret and guilt that was present inside Ariel's heart.

"I went to the sea witch. It was a horrible idea, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Ursula promised that she could give me the life I had always dreamed about, as long as I could get your father to kiss me by sunset on the third day. There was a catch, though. In payment, I was forced to give her my voice and I was naïve enough to agree to her terms.

"I did change into a human, and I did get to meet your father. In those three days, I fell in love with him. I knew that he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, even if it meant leaving my family behind. But on the third day, everything went horribly wrong. A woman showed up and cast a spell on your father. He forgot about me and fell in love with her. The wedding was arranged for that evening, and without my voice there was no way for me to tell him how I felt. Scuttle, an old friend of mine, discovered that the woman was actually Ursula in disguise. We were able to stop the wedding and get my voice back. Eric was released from the spell, but just before he could kiss me, the sun set and I changed back into a mermaid.

"According to the deal I had made with Ursula, I was hers now. Your grandfather tried to find a loop whole, but he couldn't. Ursula said that she would be willing for a trade, his freedom for mine. He agreed and Ursula gained control of the sea. Eric, though, was ready to save the day. He came and helped me fight against Ursula. We were able to defeat her and everything was returned to normal. My father was in control again and I was still a mermaid."

"Wait, but your human now. I don't understand."

"If you're patient, I'll finish the story." Ariel paused and smiled at the eager expression on Harmony's face. "Your grandfather realized how strongly I felt towards your father and changed me back into a human. He let me go because he knew that Eric felt the same love for me as I felt for him."

"So you got married and lived happily ever after." Harmony said, rolling her eyes. "That's a really cliché ending."

"But that wasn't the ending." Ariel stated, "No, that was just the beginning."

"Oh right, you had two daughters. One who stayed with you and one that you sent away because she was extra." Harmony crossed her arms and turned away.

_And just when I thought we were making progress,_ Ariel thought. "Harmony, no," she said, reaching for her daughter's shoulder, "it wasn't ever like that. There's still more to the story that you don't know."

"What? Did your father give you a condition that you had to give your second child to him if you wanted to remain human?"

"No, Harmony." Ariel tried to make her daughter understand. "When your sister, Melody, was born, we were all so happy. But on the day we were introducing her to everyone, Ursula's sister, Morgana, showed up. She was just as evil as her sister and she threatened to kidnap Melody unless your grandfather gave her the trident. We were able to save Melody, but Morgana escaped, swearing that she'd return someday. I made a decision to stay away from the ocean until Morgana was found. I didn't want to risk your sister's life or the safety of Atlantica. So we built the wall and pretended like mermaids were just a myth.

"When we found out that I was pregnant with you, your father and I were so happy. The whole kingdom was joyful about your birth. What we didn't expect was for you to be born a mermaid."

"What do you mean?"

"Melody had been born fully human, so we expected for you to be born the same. But you weren't. You were born with a fin. We didn't know what to do. We wanted to keep you, but we were afraid of what that would mean for you. Melody would always feel a connection to the sea, we knew that, but yours would be stronger. You were born to be in the ocean. It was your natural home and we couldn't bear to tear you away from that. We wanted to keep you, but we also wanted you to be happy and safe."

"What about it being safer for me, like you said earlier."

"What I said earlier was the truth. I told you that Morgana had sworn she would come back, and I didn't want her to get a hold of you or Melody. We knew that your grandfather would be able to protect you. He knew about the threat Morgana had made and he had the resources to keep you safe. As far as we know, Morgana has no idea that you exist, which means that she can't hurt you."

Harmony still had her back turned, but Ariel could see her begin to relax. "Harmony, sweetheart, I know it's not an excuse, but your father and I truly believed we were doing what was best for you. We thought that letting you live with Attina would be the best thing we could do for you. I realize now that it was a horrible mistake. You should have been with your family. I'm sorry–" Ariel was surprised when Harmony turned and flung her arms around her shoulders. A smile spread across Ariel's face as she held her child in her arms for the first time in eleven years.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harmony cried into her mother's shoulder. "Why did you keep me in the dark?"

"We didn't know how to tell you, sweetheart. We didn't know how to explain this to both you and Melody. But I'm very sorry that we didn't tell you before. I wish we could change many things, but we can't. All I can do is tell you now and explain that we still love you so much."

"I missed you, Mommy." Harmony cried.

"I missed you, too. But I promise that I won't leave you again. Your mine and I'm never letting you go."


	8. Regrets and Mistakes

**Hey guys,**

**Sorry about the long wait. Things have been a little crazy around my house. Thanks for all of your concern about my dad. He's in a boot and should be able to put wait on it in the next couple of weeks. I hope that you have all had an amazing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year. I hope that you enjoy this little present. I'm sorry it's so short. I just needed a bridge.**

**Happy Holidays,**

**~Dist**

* * *

**Regrets and Mistakes**

King Triton had left his study feeling the same as when he had entered. Ariel and Harmony's reunion hadn't gone the way he had planned. He had been hoping for that one ray of sunshine to peek in through the storm clouds that covered his heart. He felt deflated, lost. When had things started to fall apart? When had these strong currents entered his life, threatening to carry away everything he loved?

He knew the answer. It had started with Ariel, fourteen years ago. She had fallen in love with Eric and nothing had been the same since. Triton loved Eric as his own son. He knew that being on land was what made Ariel happy, but Eric had been the beginning of the chain. Following Eric, there had been Ursula and Morgana. The two witches that wanted his power and were willing to do anything to get it. They were manipulative hags that preyed on the hearts of his sweetest descendants. Ursula had took advantage of Ariel's love of Eric to take power, and now Triton was sure Morgana had somehow used Melody's innocent soul to accomplish the same.

Triton swam into his throne room thinking of his granddaughters. Melody was a sweet, innocent little girl. He had heard from his secret messages with Ariel that she loved nothing more than the ocean. Ariel had told him that it was obvious that she was from the sea. Her heart flowed like the tide with love and compassion as deep as the ocean itself. And then there was Harmony, the perfect embodiment of Ariel's carefree soul. She was responsible, of course, but she preferred going on adventures with her friends than reading a good book. It was amazing to King Triton how the two girls were blended with their parents' personalities. It was hard for him, at times, to watch Harmony grow, knowing that she would never get to be held by her mother and father. Attina and Delmar were good to her, but they could never truly compensate for what Harmony was missing.

Triton sat down on his throne and pulled a large shell from behind his back. The shell held an old picture, the only one of Melody that he had ever seen. He rested his face one his hand. If only he had been able to watch her grow up, turn into the young woman she now was. If only he had a picture of his two granddaughters together, as they should be. He ran his thumb over the little face, wishing he could hold her like he had that fateful day.

It was then that her realized the preparations around him. A table was being set full of food. A necessity, of course, but he could easily fend for himself.

"We haven't time for this," he said sternly as he rose from his seat. He traveled down to the table on the floor. "I want every available merman searching. Find her! FIND HER!" In his impatient anger, Triton threw the table through the water, turning his back to it as he began to swim away.

Before he had gone to far, he heard the table begin to shake. It had landed upright and now Triton could hear the golden plates rattling. He swam over and was about to remove the tablecloth when a seahorse came rushing in.

"King Triton," he announced, "your daughter has returned." Triton gave the table one last look and followed the seahorse out of the throne room. They swam down the hall to the back room. Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder were waiting for them inside.

"Did you find her?" Triton asked.

"Yes," Ariel answered, "exactly where you said she would be."

"Did it go well?" Triton and his daughter began to swim back towards the throne room.

"Better than I thought possible." Ariel's smile started to fade. "If only I was able to explain it all to Melody."

Triton lifted his daughter's chin with his finger. "I'm sure she'll turn up soon."

"I hope your right, Daddy."

"Ah, don't worry Ariel." Flounder said as they entered the throne room. "We'll find her." Ariel looked towards the ground, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. She raised her eyes just slightly and gasped.

"Daddy," Ariel grabbed her father's arm and pointed towards his throne. "The Trident!" They all stood in shock for a moment until Sebastian swam forward.

"But that's not possible. Nobody can move the Trident from this stand except you, Sire. You or one of your descendants."

Ariel saw something lying on the floor. She swam towards it and realized that it was a gold locket. On the locket, a name was etched in. "Melody," she said as she picked it up.

"I was supposed to be watching." Sebastian said as he covered his eyes with his claw. "Go ahead. Crack me open. Make a crab cake out of me, Sire."

"But how could she have gotten here?" Ariel asked, holding on to the locket as if it were her only lifeline.

"Morgana," Triton cursed, "if she gets her hands on my Trident… Double the search parties," he demanded of the nearby guards. "I want every creature in the ocean on patrol."

Ariel was still clinging to the one piece of her daughter she had left when she felt a shadow pass over her. She and Flounder looked up to see a pair of stingrays gliding through the water above them.

"Wait a minute," she whispered to Flounder, "I know those two." She and Flounder swam after the stingrays, following them out of the throne room, through Atlantica, and out into the open sea.

* * *

**If you posted a review to the author's note I had up, you won't be able to post a review under your PN for this chapter. If you feel the need to review (which I look forward to), please sign out and leave a review or just shoot me a PM. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you continue to enjoy.**

**~Dist**


	9. Connecting the Dots

**Hey, guys! Guess what! I'm officially off hiatus. I will be trying to update quickly.**

**I would like to thank you all for sticking with me. I'm sorry I couldn't update for awhile. Thanks to ****SiriusBlackisSiriuslyfunny333, BellaMarieSwanCullen97, xXFlapjackXx, xoJaadiexo, Auniqua101, silverbirdz, MermaidRaven, disneyfanatic99, peachmikey11, gaara king of the sand, ValueMyHeart, Charlie, ashlynthestory-creator, PreciiousPrincess, Unknown Awesomeness, Jules and everyone else who sent in reviews!**

**If you haven't noticed, I added a cover to this story. I hope you guys can figure out who's on the cover. If not, you may want to reread this story ;D**

**I hope you guys really enjoy this chapter, it's the longest I've written so far.**

**R&R,  
~Dist**

* * *

Connecting the Dots

"Dorian!" Harmony waded through the large crowd at Neptune's Alley, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend. "Dorian!"

"Harmony, over here." A hand shot up, waving her over. Harmony swam towards it with a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Do, I _have_ to tell you something." She was so excited that her whole body was shaking.

"Well, hello to you, too," Eron teased, trying to bait her.

"Hi, Eron," she responded, tacking an eye-roll onto the end. "Hey, Mia!" Harmony called, not realizing that her best friend was about to throw her ball. Needless to say, the sudden noise distracted the mermaid and her ball glided ever so perfectly… straight into the gutter.

"Harmony," she yelled at her friend, "you messed up my streak! I was about to get six strikes in a row! A new personal best!"

"Sorry," Harmony cringed slightly, "accident?" Mia just smiled and rolled her eyes. She shook her head slightly as she waited for her ball to return.

"So, you gonna join us, Princess?" Erin asked with a smirk.

"Don't call me that." Harmony narrowed her eyes. "And you know I can't."

"Oh yeah, because Her Majesty is to high and mighty to play a simple game of bowling with us puny mortals."

"It's not like I have a choice. I had … things to do."

"Yeah? What kind of things?" Eron loved that he was able to get her all worked up.

"Things I can't tell you about," Harmony shot back. She wasn't going to let him win easily.

"Yeah, 'cause you don't really doing anything. It's just an excuse." Eron knew he had won.

"Come on, Do," Harmony grabbed her friend (who had been trying hard not to laugh) and started to swim away.

"Wait, wait, wait." Eron swam in front of them. "You can tell fish brain here, but you can't tell me?"

"Well, unlike you, Dorian's not a blubber mouth." Harmony threw back. She swam past her friend with a smug smile on her face.

"Harmony – one, Eron – zip," Harmony heard Mia giggle as she and Dorian swam out of the alley.

"You know, you guys argue way too much." Dorian laughed at his friend.

"He started it," Harmony defended herself. Dorian raised his hands, as if surrendering.

"So, what was this thing you had to tell me?"

"Oh, right," Harmony got herself back on track. "You'll never believe who I met today."

"Who?"

"My mom."

"Seriously! That's why you got called to the palace?" Harmony nodded. "Well, what'd she say? Did she explain?"

"Yeah, she did," Harmony shrugged, something she did when she was uncomfortable or nervous. "I mean, she told me why. You know, why she left. It doesn't excuse it, I know, but it's a valid reason."

"And that reason would be…?" Dorian looked at her expectantly.

"Complicated."

"Well, why now? It's been eleven years."

"My sister's missing." Harmony's smile she'd had at the beginning of this conversation was replace by a slight frown.

"Geez, Harmony, I'm sorry."

"It's a little weird, you know? I mean, how are you supposed to be upset that someone is missing when you never knew they existed in the first place?"

"Well… on that happy note, we had a weird experience on the way here." Dorian never liked sad moments. They made him uncomfortable.

"What happened?" Harmony was happy to get off the topic of her sister.

"Well, we ran into this mermaid. Well, actually, she ran into Eron. Literally."

"And that's weird why?"

"No, that's not the weird part. The weird part was that she was traveling with a penguin and a walrus. What kind of merperson travels with those two companions?" Dorian chuckled a bit.

"What'd she look like? Did you recognize her?"

"No, I didn't know her. She had long, black hair and blue eyes. Actually," Dorian stops, his eyebrow crinkled like he's thinking, "now that I think about it, she kinda looked like that human girl we saw on the surface."

"What?" Harmony was shocked. _No way,_ she thought, _not possible._

"Yeah. Of course, that's not possible. I mean, Mel-Mel's a mermaid and that girl was a human."

"What'd you say her name was?"

"Umm, Mel-Mel is what Eron said. Why does it matter?" Dorian looked at his friend's face. Harmony look screamed disbelief. "H, why are you looking at me like that? Is it so hard to believe a random mermaid came to Atlantica? I mean, it is the capital. And I'm being serious about the penguin."

"No, no, Do." Harmony shook her head. "I believe you, I just can't believe _this_!" She started to swim away. Dorian swam to catch up with her.

"Hey, Harmony, wait! Where are you going?"

"To the palace. I have to tell Grandfather," Harmony answered, though preoccupied.

"Tell your grandfather what? That a penguin was here?"

"No, Do." Harmony stopped and looked at her friend. "That mermaid you met. Her name was Mel-Mel, right? That girl on the surface, her name was Melody. My sister's name is Melody. The girl you met today, she's my missing sister." Harmony began swimming again, leaving a stunned Dorian in her wake.

Dorian tried to grab his bearings. "Wait, Harmony, how is that possible?" He caught up with his friend. "I mean, she was a human and you're a mermaid. She can't possibly be your sister."

"That woman I saw behind the wall, she was my mother. Listen, it's too complicated to explain right now, but I promise I will. But for now, I need to go tell my grandfather that I know where she is, or at least where she's going if she's already left Atlantica."

"Where?" Dorian was so confused.

"She was with a penguin, Dorian! She came from the Southern Ocean. My best guess, she's going back." With that, Harmony swam through the palace gates and towards the throne room.

* * *

"What do you mean I can't see him?" Two armed guards standing in front of the throne room had stopped Harmony, and she was not happy about it.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," one of the guards replied, "but King Triton is in the middle of an important council meeting and cannot be disturbed."

"Obviously, it's important. Every council meeting is important. But this takes priority." Harmony was loosing her patience, not that she had much to begin with. These two eel-specked mermonsters were just not being reasonable. Of course, Harmony had tried the diplomatic approach, "Hey guys. I know my grandfather's in a top-secret meeting, but I have something I _really_ need to tell him." Put that with the innocent smile, and Harmony usually got what she wanted. This time it didn't work. So, the polite princess was gone almost immediately. Now she was just extremely angry and unhappy.

"I'm sorry, but you just have to wait," the other guard smiled sweetly down at her. That didn't help, Harmony hated when people were nice to her when she was being a brat. Harmony didn't usually pull the princess card, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Sir, I'm not sure you are aware, but I am the princess of Atlantica. I have lived in this palace my entire life and I would never, ever interrupt my grandfather's council unless in was a matter of life and death. And I can swear to you that if you do not open those doors this instant, I will personally ensure that you never work in the palace again." By the time she was through, the eleven-year-old had pushed her face up to one of the guard's. She then let herself drop back down to the floor and plastered an innocent smile on her face. Proceeding in an extremely sweet tone and her head slightly tilted, "Now, could you please open the door."

Understand, Harmony is not usually an intimidating person, but when she wants something done and it's not happening, she completely changes. The guard in front of her looked to his partner. The other guard just shrugged and they both opened the doors to allow Harmony through.

"Thank you." She said, politely.

Before her was a sight Harmony loved to see. It made her feel safe. Her grandfather, in all of his power, was standing at the head of a long table, his advisors and generals were all seat along the side. Included were many of Harmony's uncles and older cousins, Dorian's brother, Galen, and many others. King Triton was so fully immersed in his meeting that it took him a while to notice his granddaughter swimming towards him.

"Harmony?" He asked, as if it was possible for her to be there. "What are you doing here, child? I know that you are aware this is a private council."

"I know, Grandfather," she bowed politely, "but I had to see you. I have urgent news on the whereabouts of Princess Melody."

King Triton's face filled with shock, but he beckoned her towards him. "What do you know?"

"She was in Atlantica. Dorian saw her earlier while I was… in my meeting." Harmony didn't know whether the council knew that her mother was here. She wasn't about to reveal that secret.

"How did he know it was her?"

"He didn't. I did." Harmony cringed, realizing that she was going to have to admit to going up to the surface. "Yesterday, Dorian and I… well, we kinda… uh, went up to the surface." She whispered the last part, afraid of her grandfather's anger.

Triton inhaled deeply, a sign that he was trying to push past his anger. "And what did you see?"

"We weren't planning to go near any humans, I promise. We just wanted to look at the human kingdom. But when we got there, a human girl was swimming in the ocean. We stayed hidden, but we both caught glimpses of her. The seagull and crab she was talking to called her Melody. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when I heard Princess Melody's name, I connected the dots. Dorian mentioned that the mermaid he had met looked like the human on the surface and she had said her name was Mel-Mel. It was too much of coincidence to let go unnoticed."

"You are correct, Harmony," King Triton nodded to his granddaughter. Harmony noticed that even though his words portrayed pride, his eyes still looked sad. This information wasn't new to him. "Unfortunately, your sister has already left Atlantica. The council is trying to decide the best plan to find her. So, if you can pl-"

"Wait, Grandfather," she knew her interruption was extremely impolite, but she knew she could help. "That's the other part. I know where she's going."

"How?" Triton looked skeptical.

"Dorian said she was traveling with a penguin. She must have come from the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica. That's where you need to focus your search parties. That's where she'll be heading."

King Triton's eyes lit up with joy as Harmony finished. She could tell that he was extremely please with this new information. He turned to his council.

"Alright, Ilya. I want your forces focused on the western areas. Onan, I would like you to join him. Revelin, Gideon and Khalon, focus on the east. Galen, you and your warriors, along with Gwilym and Caledon, travel to the southern tip of, Antarctica. Ajamu, your warriors will join me in the north." Triton gave a curt nod, as if congratulating himself. "I think that will do until we have more information. Now, off with you, we have a long travel ahead of us."

As the members of the council left the room, Triton made his way over to where his granddaughter was standing. "That was some good information. I'm very proud of you." He sat him hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. "Although," he added, "we will still be discussing your punishment for disobeying my orders about the surface."

"Can I please go to Antarctica, Grandfather?" Harmony begged. "I want to help."

"No, child," Triton shook his head, "Melody is already missing, I do not need to lose you as well."

"Please, Grandfather! I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"I said no, Harmony. This is not a decision to be argued. I am not letting you put yourself in danger. Let the adults fight this fight."

"This is my family in danger. My sister! I need to save her!" She pleaded with King Triton, trying to make him understand. She needed to do this!

"We will save her, my dear," Triton leaned down so he could make eye contact with Harmony, "but you cannot come. It is going to be too dangerous for you."

Harmony crossed her arms and pouted. She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"I'll tell you what," Triton said in an attempt to pacify his headstrong granddaughter, "your father is unaware of this turn of events. And you know what," he snapped his fingers and tried to look angry at himself, "I completely forgot to send any of my council members to inform him." Harmony lifted her head, looking up at her grandfather expectantly. "Maybe you and Dorian could swim up to tell him."

"My father!" Harmony exclaimed. "You mean he's here?"

"Yes, his fleet is located about three miles to the east of Atlantica. I'm sure you could get there quickly if you left now." Triton's eyes held a mischievous glint as he smiled down at Harmony.

"I get to meet my father!" She hugged Triton tightly. "Oh, thank you, Grandfather. Thank you so much."

Triton put both his hands on Harmony's shoulders and pulled back from the hug just enough to lean down and make eye contact. "Now, Harmony," he was extremely serious and Harmony knew that she had to pay attention, "I am sending you to your father to tell him specific orders. He must meet my warriors near the northern tip of Antarctica and he must leave immediately. You have to tell him this. I know you're excited, but now is not the right time to reconnect with him. I know this is unfair, but we need to find Melody as fast as possible. I promise, you will have time to talk to both of your parents and your sister as soon as we are done. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Grandfather." Harmony looked down. She wasn't as excited as she had been a moment earlier.

"Now, I am not saying that you shouldn't take time to talk with him for a little while, I know that would be cruel. You may stay with him until his fleet reaches Crucian Circle. Once you reach that town, you may not go any further with your father. You and Dorian must return to Atlantica immediately. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Harmony, this is the most important thing I have ever asked you to do. You have your mother's spirit; therefore, I know that you will try to stretch the boundaries I have given you. This time, you cannot. Harmony, you must do everything exactly as I have described. Promise me that you will."

"I promise," and she didn't plan on breaking it.

"Alright," Triton stood and smiled. He waved his hand towards the door. "Go see you father, child."

Harmony smiled and waved as she swam out the door of the throne room. With every swish of her tail, Harmony felt that much closer. She was on her way to meet her father. Everything was falling into place. The dots of her life were finally connecting. She was almost whole.

* * *

**So the conversation with Harmony's friends is just something fun. I felt she needed some time to be a kid. The conversation itself is mostly based on how my friends would act.**

******Harmony's little insult to the two guards is thanks to "Funny Mean Names." That came up the second time I pushed the generate button, although I did have to change it to mermonsters.**

******Anyway, thanks for reading. Love you all. Please review!**

******~Dist**

******P.S. If you read the last author's note I had for this chapter, please forgive me. That's what comes out of my mind at 5 am. Never let me write that late again. It's scary what my mind thinks of.**


End file.
